Crows and Ravens in the Early Morning
by Aslinn Kerridwen
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short stories about Hayate. Fianlly added the 7th chapter!
1. crows and ravens in the early morning

Crows and ravens in the early morning.

It had been a windy morning. A boy aged around 7, with a mop of messy, dark hair, was walking slowly towards the academy building. It was quite a way, from his family's home. He was walking somewhat sleepily, because of the early hour, and shivering slightly in the cold wind. Suddenly, with a stronger gust, the red scarf which he had draped around his neck loosened and then got blown away by the wind. The boy's reflexes were fast for a child, even for a ninja child, and his fingers caught the red fabric before it flew away. In that precise second however the boy doubled over coughing, and the scarf flew out of his hand, and got carried away by the wind. Still coughing the boy watched the material carried away. He closed his eyes and a moment later the boy's cough was gone. Like a child trying to catch a butterfly, he ran after the scarf with his arms outstretched and ready. It was bellowing before him, red and taunting, carried by the strong, December wind. The boy would stretch out his arms, and close his small fists every time the scarf seemed to drop, yet always it escaped and got blown a couple of meters away. The boy, who had minutes ago thought about school, and what Taka sensei would have them do today, now had only one goal in his life – to catch the escaped, malicious scarf.

He ran after it, away from the academy building. He ran through little streets and didn't even notice the curious glances of adults. He ran on, and reached the outskirts of the village. He ran, his hair blown back by the speed, and his eyes watering because of the wind. He ran, even though his lungs hurt.

In his pursuit of the scarf, he reached the outskirts of Konoha and finally reached an open field. He saw the scarf, a couple of meters away drop onto the ground. He wanted to speed up and catch it now that he had the chance, but for the second time this day he was stopped in his tracks by his cough. The dull, grey sound carried out through the field. At the sound, a large group of crows scattered away in a loud flutter of heavy black wings. The air now filled with their threatening, croaking. The dark-haired boy raised his head to see a mass of black shapes flapping above him, as if angry for disturbing their peace. To anybody the sound would seem foreboding, malicious and cruel even. The boy however did not hear their sarcastic laughter, in the croaking of the crows he clearly heard the words, "get up! get going! Get up! Get going!" he grit his teeth and with one hand clutching his chest he ran towards the scarf which was just starting to get picked up by the wind again. He reached it just in time, he stretched out his hand and his fingers closed firmly over the soft, red cloth. This time the boy held fast. The scarf was his once more and he draped it around his neck filled with pride. Then he coughed once more and turned to go back triumphantly. Above him the crows were still croaking.

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**AN**: This is a new series I'm planning, short stories/drabbles on Hayate and some on the "nameless ANBU chic." I hope you enjoy the first chapter. Perhaps it is slightly pointless, but I think it is qute pretty. Anyway, I hope you liked it. And whether you did or didn't please review so I know if I should continue with this one!

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DISCLAIMER: Hayate, and all other characters of Naruto, as well as the world they live in belong to, and are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto. 


	2. sandcastles

Sandcastles

He liked the sea.

Not that he often went there, ninja didn't get long holidays after all. Yet he did go a couple of times. The first time was when he was 9 and it was the year that he had graduated from the ninja academy. He want with his parents to a small house on the sea side. He loved it, as the crisp, dry air of the sea was soothing on his lungs and the wind was warm. It was then when he built his first sandcastle. He built it right on the shoreline, and quickly it was destroyed by the waves. At first he was angry, but soon he watched how each wave took a bit of his castle away, and he though it was entrancing. Since that day, he built sand castles a lot. Even when he though that he was quite too old for that kind of stuff he still did.

As he watched another of his constructions destroyed by the waves, he decided that people's lives were like sandcastles, and his was simply built closer to the shoreline.

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**AN:**Nor much to say about this piece...it was too short I admit. I just got up one night, wrote it and well...I promise I'll do better next time.

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DISCLAIMER: Hayate as well as all of the other Naruto characters belong to, and are copyright ofMasashi Kishimoto. 


	3. lessons

He didn't like the academy too much. Most of the kids would always edge away from him when he coughed, and even when he didn't they still kept their distance. It didn't matter how often he repeated that it wasn't contagious, the other children just didn't get it. The ones that didn't edge away where even worse. "Are you ok Hayate-kun?" "Are you ok Hayate?" they would repeat so often it made him feel sick.

But worse than all of these was their sensei. "Hayate-kun, are you ok?" he would keep asking, and it was even more humiliating. "Maybe you should rest Hayate-kun?" "Now don't over do it Hayate!" "How about you sit this one out Hayate-kun?" It drove the boy mad, to be reminded of his sickness all the time, and treated like an invalid.

It was like that during the ninjutsu and taijutsu classes especially, if he as much as coughed, sensei said: "Ah, Hayate, how about you go practice shuriken throwing now, ne? Don't make such a face, you'll have plenty of time later to practice taijutsu!"

And so it went at school, each day, annoyed him more, each day the lessons annoyed him more, each day his classmates annoyed him more. One boy, Hayate disliked more than the rest, Umino Iruka, was a bundle of energy that annoyed Hayate to no end. He laughed, he made fun of everybody, played tricks on the teachers, disrupted lessons. He wasn't cruel, never, but by the Kami, he could drive anyone crazy.

Only much later the sick boy realized that Iruka, like him knew pain and sleepless nights. Iruka, like him knew how unfair fate was, and Iruka like him felt the same contempt towards fate, as there was no one else to feel contempt for.

All these things Hayate did not know, and his days at the academy did not belong to the best. There was however, some comfort in the academy. It all started when they were made partners for kunai sparring practice. He liked her straight away, she did not babble all the time, but she wasn't overly sad either. She had a slight smile as they bowed to each other but when they fought her brows furrowed slightly, and her lips clenched together. She didn't treat him different either, when he coughed she waited for him to finish, not once asking whether he was all right, and attacked him as soon as he was done. Never before had he felt so happy. Seeing their fight, the other kids started treating him more seriously, they weren't so afraid of getting sick, and they didn't treat him like an invalid so much.

When he headed home that evening he ran. He ran filled with glee like he rarely was. Sooner or later dark and rainy days would come for sure, but this evening as Hayate ran towards his home the crows scattered in a rush of black wings to make way for him, and he was happy.

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**AN**: Right, I hoped you liked this. More down to earth this time, but I just had to add the crows...And Iruka, if I remember correctly they were the same age, I thought that as kids they wouldn't like eachother too much, I also think that later they could have become friends as Iruka mentions him out of all that were killed during the attack on Konoha during the ceremony.

The girl, well you all know who that was supposed to be, I hope you like my interpretation of her!

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DISCLAIMER: All the characters, and the world they live in, belong to Masashi Kishimoto, author of the manga "Naruto" 


	4. the first time he killed

The First Time He Killed

Among the dry rocks of the Rock country stood a boy of slights built and dark hair which fell into his eyes. He was on watch, hidden yet vigilant, paying attention to every detail. From his focused eyes and serious expression it seemed that something very serious was happening here, and indeed though this was only the second part of the exam, a stimulation, he could easily lose his life here.

It was silent. The boy was waiting for his teammates to return. They had gone scouting and left him on watch. Since his first days at the academy he had wanted to pass – he needed to do well.

For about half an hour nothing happened – silence – only the occasional flapping sound of bird's wings above his head. Yet the boy did not grow weary or bored. He remained focused. He heard it suddenly – the slightest sound – but it was too late. As he turned his head he saw a person blurred by the speed. He saw a flash of metal. He felt a sudden pain. Opposite him now stood a young girl, younger than him, with a set of metal claws each about 2 inches in length strapped onto her hands. On the claws of her left hand he saw blood. His blood.

She did not wait for him. She attacked again. Almost as if in a dance, she twirled, feinted and then suddenly swept her right hand in a vicious attack. Across his shoulder he now had a set of clean, deep wounds to match those that she had laid on his cheek just a second ago.

He pulled out two kunai. He blocked her next hit and the one after that. Then he attacked. She avoided his blow easily. She was good.

He didn't have the speed to dodge or block her next attack. It narrowly missed his throat. It could have been fatal. The hit was so hard however it knocked him back against a large rock. He lay there sprawled with his back pressed against the large yellowish boulder, staring into the eyes of the girl. She was too fast. He didn't even have the time to blink and already she was soaring towards him, hand ready for the final hit – aimed at his eyes.

On instinct and as if in a trance he blocked, and plunged the two kunai he was holding into her neck, crosswise. Then roughly, he pulled the two blades out in a scissor-like movement. Her eyes opened wide. She mouthed several words silently. Blood gushed out from her slit throat and sprayed his face and clothes. His hands were covered in it. He was breathing heavily, staring in terror into the girl's dying eyes. She dropped onto the ground. Onto him. In fear and disgust he pushed the body off of himself, and climbed to his feet. He couldn't take his gaze away from the girl. She reminded him of someone. Her dark eyes were still open and her long, black hair with a shade of purple was in a mess on the ground. The boy paled. The boy threw up. She reminded him of someone.

Above him the crows hung in the air – silently.

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**AN: **I think this was too bloody. Next chapter is going to be more positive, I promise. Well, I hope you enjoyed this nonetheless. And thank you so much to all those who reviewed. Really!

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DISCLAIMER: Hayate, all the characters of Naruto, and the world they live in, belong and are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto. 


	5. a crow's smile

Playground

A boy with dark hair, looking to be in his late teens, 17 or 18 was making his way, against the wind towards the little playground before the academy. He didn't know what made his step by here. He had graduated from the academy ages ago – he was already preparing to become a Jounin. So why did he come here of all places? To the academy? He could hear the teacher's voice above the chatter of the kids from inside. He stood there listening for a few seconds. Memories flooded back as he listened to the din of children's voices from within the building. They weren't good memories. Most of them weren't at least. They say that memories from school remain with you for a long time. They also say that school teaches you about something more than just the program. He didn't believe it. School never taught him more than how to set traps, the theory of chakra manipulation, the geography of fire country and it's neighbors, and things like that. A single lesson about life he carried in his heart, did come from school, but it was not school that taught him. It was a single person. And indeed, he would never forget that.

The boy shook the memories out. Then he walked over to the swing which was swaying lightly on the strong wind. He couldn't quite decide what to do. He hadn't sat on a swing for ages. Not since he left the academy really. He looked around, somewhat nervously, then sat down on the wooden seat. When he was young he couldn't reach the ground with his feet, now he had his legs bent and feet planted on the ground. He pushed his legs lightly of the ground. Then once more. The swing started to sway. To and fro. To and fro. Like waves. Like the waves that destroyed his sandcastles when he was a little boy. This time he pushed his feet harder of the ground, and in turn the swing swung higher. He felt the air rush against his face. He felt the ground disappear from under his feet and then come back. The air, the wind, the earth, it felt good. He had almost forgotten.

He raised his head at the slight sunlight, and with another gust of wind his hair blew from his face and eyes. Above him, on the branch of a tree that grew close to the swing, sat a large black bird, a crow. He smiled softly, suddenly extremely glad to be alive. The bird watched him with a single, still eye. He swayed a couple of times more, then jumped off the swing and jogged off. The crow watched him a bit longer, then flapped it's wings, so black you could get lost in them, and with a cry, flew of. The swing kept swinging in the wind.

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DISCLAIMER: Hayate and all of the Naruto characters belong to, and are copyright of, Masashi Kishimoto.


	6. rainy days

Rainy Days

It was as if the sky had fallen. They didn't have such rain for a long time. It was like a liquid curtain, that could barely bee seen through. The pavement was covered in puddles of different shapes and sizes, which never stopped rippling because of the falling masses of heavy raindrops.

He hated the rain. It made him cough more. And yet, here he was, wearing a long trench-coat instead of his jounin vest, making his way through the wet, lonely streets. The rain soaked into his hair, which was plastered to his face, and bounced of his coat. In his clasped hand was a completely soaked bouquet of flowers and a white paper bag.

He trudged on, with his shoulders hunched and his head held low. Suddenly, the shimmer of the raindrops hitting the pavement was stifled by a lonely croak. He looked up to see a huge black bird sitting above him. Its feathers were ruffled and it was completely wet. Water dripped and sagged from its beak. The dark-haired man lifted his head higher and they stayed like that for a few moments. He stared at the miserable looking creature, and it stared back with a single beady eye. He felt his lips curl into the faintest smile. Then, as if deliberately slowly it rose into the air, beating its soaking wings.

"Good luck!" he whispered as he watched it fly.

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He knocked on the door – he knew she hated when people rang the doorbell – and waited. When she finally opened he handed her the wet bouquet and paper bag. His skin was flushed. She was happy to see that there was a small smile playing on his lips, and she wondered where it was from.

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**AN**: I've comeback to these drabbles. I'm sorry it took so long, I hope you still feel like reading them. Anyway. Hope you enjoyed the rainy chapter. R&R please!

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DISCLAIMER: Hayate, and all the other characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, author of the manga Naruto. 


	7. still nights and stormy days

She always went home after he fell asleep. There were exceptions however, and tonight was an exception. Tonight she was lying on her side, watching the naked man asleep beside her. His hair was messier than usual, some falling onto the pillow, and some onto his eyes and mouth. He was breathing regularly, which was rare.

There were many things she liked about him, many things she loved about him. She liked the fact he was good looking, no way to dispute this. She loved the way he never gave up, and the way he just went on living every day. She liked to watch him practice katas. She loved the way he smiled when he woke up to find here beside him, instead of the ruffled empty sheets. She liked the way he built sandcastles that time they went to the sea shore, and how he was a bit embarrassed by it. She loved how he looked with his hair plastered to his face when it rained. Generally she liked his hair, and she loved running her fingers through it, especially in _those_ moments.

But most of all, she loved his voice. It was soft, cooland soothing, like the sea on a still, moonlight night. Like waves lapping softly at her feet on nights when there was no wind. And that is why she hated his cough. It was sharp and ragged, like a storm that was about to come and made the sea restless.

She hated it. Also because during the storm, the waves destroyed sandcastles much, much faster. And destroyed them for good.

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**AN: **Lot's of symbolism in this one, gomen, I hope you don't mind... And it required the chapter on sandcastels. 

Anyway, I think I'm nearing an ending. My main problem right now is weather to leave a more or less happy ending (can't be to happy) or to mention his death. My original idea was not to include Hayate's death (I guess I just love him too much)but now I'm not so sure...(help would definitley be appreatiated)

AK

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DISCLAIMER: All of the characters in this story belong to and are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto, author of the manga Naruto 


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